New Mala Hot Pot Hanzhong Branch — Restaurant in Wanhua District

Rating: 4 / 5 stars 🤩 : variety of free-flow beverage and ice cream offerings, fresh ingredients, excellent location 🤧 : poor QR ordering UI/UX

Diners who leave a 5 star Google review receives a scallop complimentary dish. As such, I hope to help paint a more realistic picture of the experience at 新馬辣 and this outlet in particular.

TLDR; certainly worth a shot for those seeking out a hotpot meal in the heart of XMD. Good value.

I had made a reservation to dine at another XMD outlet, but ended up at this outlet instead as I found that it was more convenient. It is located right smack in the middle of XMD, just next to the iconic Uniqlo. Located on 6F, some seats are granted a view of nothing in particular - a nice vibe regardless. Each table is fairly spacious, good for groups of 4 to 6. The great thing is that smaller groups of 2-3 are seated at the same large tables as everyone else. Some of these tables are adjacent, and hence, can accommodate even larger groups. Despite advancement in hotpot technology, 新馬辣 still utilises gas stoves without ventilation. The pots and burners are not recessed, unlike most modern setups.

Once seated, you will choose your buffet package and a table QR is generated for the purpose of ordering. The items in the QR menu are limited to that of the package selected, hence, it will not lead to any confusion on what is payable and what is inclusive. The e-ordering system limits the number of items you can order per transactions, as well as the number of portions per item. Only two portions of each item can be ordered per transaction, with no repetition in items allowed. That said, you may place make multiple transactions back-to-back. I do not recommend doing so as despite the large table, there is often insufficient space due to the unnecessarily large plates used. Ingredients are generally sent to the table promptly with the use of waiting robots. We made use of the robots to return empty plates on their return trip to the kitchen.

Ingredients are generally fresh and reasonable in portion. Fish, in particular, as typically served in large chunks. I appreciate this as it reduces the chance of breakage during the cooking process. Meats come with tags to describe their origin, cut, and grade. I find that this adds to the experience as one can make comparisons in terms of quality and texture. We decide on which item to reorder based on these qualities.

Other highlights and observations: Condiment bar with plenty of options. Various sauces, condiments, egg, and noodles are included in this bar. Passable mala broth that lacks any real numbness or heat. Collagen broth lacks flavour, and requires additional order of the collagen jelly (at least 4 required). Great selection of beverage, which includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic, caffeinated and non-caffeinated options. Milo is a highlight for me. Plenty of ice cream flavours for choosing. However, non-dairy options are limited to just two (mango and strawberry). Japanese curry and rice are available as part of the buffet. Prawns are a tad tiny - too much peeling for a little bit of meat.

Dining is limited to just 1.5 hours, upon entry or reservation time, whichever earlier. Be mindful of this as the QR ordering has a timer mechanism which cuts off ordering once the 1.5 hours is up.

Overall, I think this to be a comfortable experience with plenty of options for everyone. This is certainly not a pampering experience, but will certainly add to your trip to Taipei through...

Half-self-service all you can eat hot pot, not a good value in Taiwan, 2 ppl for about $75 USD Staff are rude, asked if we can accept the sofa sit when lead us to be seat, we said yes. Then they leading us to table as the picture… and far from the food and drink bar, then we request if we could change another table so we can feel more comfort and easy to get outside for pick up food. Because we have only 2 person and want to sitting face to face instead of side by side. Then the staff told us we can just sit on the hard chair… but the restaurant is not full yet, and another customers all sitting nearby the food bar with 2 sofa table. I don’t understand why. We paid same price and they put us to the bad area even though they have so many empty seats. At the end they changed our table to 2 sofa at the most far away from the food bar.

Then we started order our food, we got 2 wrong order during our dinner. Beef is not bad, but the seafood not fresh. The only thing I like is the ice cream bar, but will never...

I recently visited Mala Hotpot, and it was an absolutely fantastic experience! From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with a warm and inviting atmosphere. The staff were friendly and attentive, making sure everything was perfect throughout the meal.

The variety of ingredients available was incredible. From fresh meats, vegetables, and tofu, to a selection of noodles and dipping sauces, the options were endless. The broth was the star of the show though! The Mala broth had just the right balance of spice and savory flavors that left my taste buds dancing. If you like heat, this is definitely the place for you.

The best part about Mala Hotpot is the customizability – you can adjust the spice level to suit your preferences, and there's something for everyone, whether you prefer mild or extra spicy.

Overall, the food quality, atmosphere, and service were all top-notch. I can't wait to go back for another round of delicious hotpot!

Highly recommended for hotpot lovers or anyone wanting to try...